Critic Reviews

Activision inherited a grand tradition with the Zork series. Zork predates Myst as the granddaddy of adventure games for most gamers. Started as a text series, the phrase such as "in front of you is a white house" along with terms like Frobozz, Grue’s and zorkmids set many an adventurers heart a fluttering. The first of the "graphic" Zork adventures was Return To Zork. It is one of the great classic games, in this reviewers opinion. When Zork Nemesis was announced, it is not an exaggeration to say many folks went wild. Along with Myst, Tex Murphy, Monkey Island and Gabriel Knight - it is a series with a large number of devotees. What arrived upon release was a different kind of Zork. This was a serious game, with dark overtones. To some this smacked of sacrilege - but I loved the game. I recently decided to re-visit Nemesis and see if the game was as good as I recalled.

To those individuals who have played ZN and found it to be a significantly humorless departure from the historically comic series--I beg to differ. Playing it a second time, I found countless funny bits throughout the game, perhaps made even funnier by the fact that I've played all of the games in the Zork universe.

I remember when I saw the first magazine ads and screenshots for Nemesis. Yes.. you read that right - the first magazine ads.. This was back when PC gamer actually covered all the genre’s in gaming. Sigh. Anyway, I was blown away by the early promotional copy. I had never seen such rich graphics in an adventure game before. The story line looked sweet as well. " In a Desolate Corner of the Underground Empire, an evil demon torments the land. Evil rules the Forbidden lands. Here the souls of the Empire’s great Alchemists lie in perpetual hell.." Whoaa, stalking evil.. demons.. Yep, I was hooked.

Activision has done it! This is the one, this is THE game. Close your eyes, imagine the most pleasurable feeling possible, multiply it to the nth degree and you are only vaguely experiencing what is "Zork Nemesis".

Let the trumpets sound! Let the bell toll! Let there be joy and peace and goodwill to all men! For let it be known to the whole world. Let it be shouted from every street corner. Let it be announced atop the rooftops that "Zork Nemesis" is here and the golden age of gaming is returning to us all!

Just as Infocom took the lead in text adventure games a decade and a half ago with the original Zork trilogy, Activision has continued the line of excellence with their latest twist in the Zork saga, Zork Nemesis. They have put together a game that strives for so much and succeeds. Graphics, plot, video sequences, acting and gameplay—all are above average and combine to put together one awesome graphic adventure game. I spent many long evenings engrossed in this game and found myself more than once a little disturbed with the shadowy world that they put together. If a game can truly achieve this type of reaction, then it is worth checking out. Activision scores a 95 with its outstanding latest release in the Zork series.

Go buy it, you'll love it! This is more than just a game, it's an experience. If you aren't really into adventure games, Zork Nemesis might just change that. With a multi-million dollar budget and a crew of 75 skilled individuals, Activision has created an unforgettable experience. With their recent track record (MechWarrior II, Spycraft, Pitfall 95) in mind, I expected no less, but got so much more. The future of Zork is bright once again!

Go buy it, you'll love it! This is more than just a game, it's an experience. If you aren't really into adventure games, Zork Nemesis might just change that. With a multi-million dollar budget and a crew of 75 skilled individuals, Activision has created an unforgettable experience. With their recent track record (MechWarrior II, Spycraft, Pitfall 95) in mind, I expected no less, but got so much more. The future of Zork is bright once again!

One thing about the puzzles this time around, is that they are much more logical than the ones in Return to Zork. Even if they stump you, you will have to admit that it makes some sense (in the context of the game's story) when you finally solve it. I felt that there were too many puzzles that made no sense in the previous game. The ones here are solid. They range from the simpler to the intensely difficult. A good range of difficulty for the average adventurer or the accomplished. Activision has put a very entertaining game together here. Don't let the lack of Zork sway you from this one, if you like adventures, you will not be disappointed by this game. Bottom Line: Less Zork and more Nemesis, but still a fantastic adventure. Puzzles range from median to tough, but most follow solid logic. Lots of fun, highly recommended for average to accomplished adventurer.

Zork Nemesis is an enjoyable game with quality art, lots of puzzles and some surprising story twists. The environment is rich and detailed and exploring it is fun, although the amount of information can be overwhelming at times, making it difficult to spot clues.

Zork Nemesis is an enjoyable game with quality art, lots of puzzles and some surprising story twists. The environment is rich and detailed and exploring it is fun, although the amount of information can be overwhelming at times, making it difficult to spot clues. When everything is summed up, my final grade is an A-.

Zork Nemesis, the latest game to carry the name Zork, is a 3-CD experience filled with SVGA rendered locations, incredible atmospheric sound, and some full-motion video thrown in. Zork Nemesis mixes all these elements and produces a truly engrossing game.

Zork Nemesis, the latest game to carry the name Zork, is a 3-CD experience filled with SVGA rendered locations, incredible atmospheric sound, and some full-motion video thrown in. Zork Nemesis mixes all these elements and produces a truly engrossing game.

In the market where Myst knock-offs proliferate (and there are many more on the way in the coming months), Zork Nemesis stands head and shoulders above the pack. It has been very thoughtfully designed and expensively produced. Though it departs from the 'Zork tradition' for the sake of cashing in on the enduring popularity of Myst, it will certainly not disappoint the Myst fans, even though it is darker and more violent than Myst. It may not be breaking any new ground, but it certainly represents the state of the art in Myst-cloning. Still, it's unfortunate that the Mac port shows such marked decrease in graphic quality and speed, which will doubtless irritate or dismay many Mac gamers.

How much you enjoy Zork Nemesis as a game will depend on your affection for arcane logic puzzles, but as an immersive experience — especially if you have a souped-up computer and Windows 95 — it is often astonishing, blending freedom of movement through computer-generated landscapes with an alternately soothing and creepy ambient soundtrack.

Overall, Zork Nemesis is a very good game and fun to play once you’ve learned how to use interface. The story line is excellent and combined with astounding graphical detail Activision has masterfully created the mystical Forbidden lands. I must warn you, however, that it is very hardware specific and that some of the content is not suitable for children.

Overall, Zork Nemesis is a dark interpretation of the classic Zork universe. It is an adventure that can be appreciated by both fans and non fans of the series. With this game, the great Underground Empire has once again been rediscovered in its full glory.

Far too many recent adventure games have been shallow and relatively easy to complete in just a few hours, but I'm delighted to report the same cannot be said about this one. Zork Nemesis is a game for savouring and there is no way that you will finish it in an afternoon.

This is a huge game -- almost as big as some role-playing game environments and what's more, it doesn't rely on miles of twisty passages that all look the same. Each location is richly detailed -- the graphics are very impressive and the music is superbly evocative and at times quite eerie as befits the nature of the story. (Though I will admit to missing the rather stirring theme from Return to Zork.) The 360 degree panning enables you to thoroughly explore your surroundings and immerse yourself in the fantastic locations that comprise the world of Zork Nemesis, but be warned you will need a fairly high powered system to get the most out of it and, though not essential, Windows '95 is strongly recommended.

Despite its minor shortcomings, I really can’t recommend this game enough. It has stood up to multiple plays over the years and its dark and eerie atmosphere has not diminished over time. If you like your games dark and macabre, as I do, you shouldn’t think twice about playing this one.

Activision has taken a new direction in the Zork series with the development of Zork Nemesis (also known as Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands). Although Zork Nemesis is billed as a sequel to Return to Zork, the story in this game bears no authentic link to previous Zork titles except for a few passing references. Such a risk taken by the developer is likely going to stir up mixed feelings from diehard Zork fans. To gamers who are unfamiliar with the Zork series, Zork Nemesis stands well by itself as an adventure game that commands a welcomed challenge. For the first time, the grandiose view of the Zork Empire can be fully visualized inside the game, bringing scenes which once can only be described in text in the original adventures to a new level of experience. Together with a hefty dose of challenging puzzles, Zork Nemesis represents a dark side of the Zork universe that any gamer is surely enticed to experience.

While Zork Nemesis may be too graphic and intense for children, adults who loved Myst or Phantasmagoria will find a lot to like about this CD-ROM. With Broderbund Software pushing the sequel to Myst back into 1997, computer gamers might not find a better substitute than Zork Nemesis.

While Zork Nemesis may be too graphic and intense for children, adults who loved Myst or Phantasmagoria will find a lot to like about this CD-ROM. With Broderbund Software pushing the sequel to Myst back into 1997, computer gamers might not find a better substitute than Zork Nemesis.

ZORK NEMESIS is a pleasure to watch and has glimmering moments of promise, but a well-told story and a consistently inspired caliber of gameplay are two things it hasn't got. You'll probably show off your favorite scenes to your friends – I did – but I doubt you'll tell them about your favorite puzzle, the way we used to talk, in the old days, about catching the Babel Fish or death of Floyd.